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Justin Trudeau hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

Justin Trudeau hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

Canada says it will look at increasing its defence spending and tacked on 10 more Russian names to an ever growing sanctions list.

By Tonda MacCharles
Ottawa Bureau
Mon., March 7, 2022

Riga, LATVIA—On the 13th day of the brutal Russian bid to claim Ukraine as its own, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is showing up at the Latvian battle group led by Canadian soldiers, waving the Maple Leaf and a vague hint at more money for the military.

Canada has been waving the NATO flag for nearly seven years in Latvia as a bulwark against Russia’s further incursions in Eastern Europe.

Canada stepped up to lead one of NATO’s four battle groups in 2015 — part of the defensive alliance’s display of strength and solidarity with weaker member states after Russia invaded Ukraine and seized the Crimean peninsula in 2014. Trudeau arrived in the Latvian capital late Monday after meetings in the U.K. with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Earlier Monday, faced with a seemingly unstoppable war in Ukraine, Trudeau said he will look at increasing Canada’s defence spending. Given world events, he said there are “certainly reflections to have.”

And Canada tacked on 10 more Russian names to an ever-growing sanctions list.

The latest round of sanctions includes names Trudeau said were identified by jailed Russian opposition leader and Putin nemesis Alexei Navalny.

However, on a day when Trudeau cited the new sanctions, and Johnson touted new measures meant to expose Russian property owners in his country, Rutte admitted sanctions are not working.

Yet they all called for more concerted international efforts over the long haul, including more economic measures and more humanitarian aid, with Johnson and Rutte divided over how quickly countries need to get off Russian oil and gas.

The 10 latest names on Canada’s target list do not include Roman Abramovich — a Russian billionaire Navalny has been flagging to Canada since at least 2017. Canada appears to have sanctioned about 20 of the 35 names on Navalny’s list.

The Conservative opposition says the Liberal government is not yet exerting maximum pressure on Putin, and should do more to bolster Canadian Forces, including by finally approving the purchase of fighter jets.

Foreign affairs critic Michael Chong said in an interview that Ottawa must still sanction “additional oligarchs close to President Putin who have significant assets in Canada.”

Abramovich owns more than a quarter of the public shares in steelmaking giant Evraz, which has operations in Alberta and Saskatchewan and has supplied most of the steel for the government-owned Trans Mountain pipeline project.

Evraz’s board of directors also includes two more Russians the U.S. government identified as “oligarchs” in 2019 — Aleksandr Abramov and Aleksandr Frolov — and its Canadian operations have received significant support from the federal government.

That includes at least $27 million in emergency wage subsidies during the pandemic, as well as $7 million through a fund meant to help heavy-polluters reduce emissions that cause climate change, according to the company’s most recent annual report.

In addition to upping defence spending, the Conservatives want NORAD’s early warning system upgraded, naval shipbuilding ramped up and Arctic security bolstered.

In London, Johnson sat down with Trudeau and Rutte at the Northolt airbase. Their morning meetings had a rushed feel, with Johnson starting to usher press out before Trudeau spoke. His office said later that the British PM couldn’t squeeze the full meeting in at 10 Downing Street because Johnson’s “diary” was so busy that day. The three leaders held an afternoon news conference at 10 Downing.

But before that Trudeau met with the Queen, saying she was “insightful” and they had a “useful, for me anyway, conversation about global affairs.”

Trudeau meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Tuesday in Latvia.

The prime minister will also meet with three Baltic leaders, the prime ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, in the Latvian capital of Riga.

The Liberals announced they would increase the 500 Canadian Forces in Latvia by another 460 troops. The Canadians are leading a multinational battle group, one of four that are part of NATO’s deployments in the region.

Another 3,400 Canadians could be deployed to the region in the months to come, on standby for NATO orders.

But Canada’s shipments of lethal aid to Ukraine were slow to come in the view of the Conservatives, and the Ukrainian Canadian community.

And suddenly Western allies are eyeing each other’s defence commitments.

At the Downing Street news conference, Rutte noted the Netherlands will increase its defence budget to close to two per cent of GDP. Germany has led the G7, and doubled its defence budget in the face of Putin’s invasion and threats. Johnson said the U.K. defence spending is about 2.4 per cent and declined to comment on Canada’s defence spending which is 1.4 per cent of GDP.

But Johnson didn’t hold back.

“What we can’t do, post the invasion of Ukraine is assume that we go back to a kind of status quo ante, a kind of new normalization in the way that we did after the … seizure of Crimea and the Donbas area,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to recognize that things have changed and that we need a new focus on security and I think that that is kind of increasingly understood by everybody.”

Trudeau stood by his British and Dutch counterparts and pledged Canada would do more.

He defended his government’s record, saying Ottawa is gradually increasing spending over the next decade by 70 per cent. Then Trudeau admitted more might be necessary.

“We also recognize that context is changing rapidly around the world and we need to make sure that women and men have certainty and our forces have all the equipment necessary to be able to stand strongly as we always have. As members of NATO. We will continue to look at what more we can do.”

The three leaders — Johnson, a conservative and Trudeau and Rutte, progressive liberals — in a joint statement said they “will continue to impose severe costs on Russia.”

Arriving for the news conference from Windsor Castle, Trudeau had to detour to enter Downing Street as loud so-called Freedom Convoy protesters bellowed from outside the gate. They carried signs marked “Tuck Frudeau” and “Free Tamara” (Lich).

Protester Jeff Wyatt who said he has no Canadian ties told the Star he came to stand up for Lich and others who were leading a “peaceful protest” worldwide against government “lies” about COVID-19 and what he called Trudeau’s “tyranny.”

Elsewhere in London, outside the Russian embassy, other protesters and passersby reflected on what they said was real tyranny — the Russian attack on Ukraine. “I think we should be as tough as possible to get this stopped, as tough as possible,” said protester Clive Martinez.
 
The RCAF is getting ball hats at some point?

"Getting" implies they will be issued, for free. Nope, they'll be available from the canex for purchase if they can figure out the quality issues. I'll just end up taking a picture of the color + logo then head over to Lids and make a custom one that fits. All heads are the same size so I'm sure the Canex will provide fits for all!
 
"Getting" implies they will be issued, for free. Nope, they'll be available from the canex for purchase if they can figure out the quality issues.

That’s it. Off you go!


Surprise Youre Coming With Me GIF by Hollyoaks


😁
 
you aren't being fair, it is a personal pledge by Justin, not by Canada

I don't believe so. I understood that Trudeau personally pledged 50 MCAD/MUSD on behalf of Canada and that the money was to come out of public coffers.
 
Not so sure about the above.

If you add multiple weeks of what has just occurred regarding these unknown source of balloons popping up over various places in NA, specifically moving them down from Alaska/Yukon to more mundane places like Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa, North Bay, Sherbrooke, Kansas City, Sacramento, Boise, Tallahassee, Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, etc and you'll start to see yammering about the need for more funding of the CAF. If it continues to be ONLY US fighters shooting down balloons across Canadian airspace then the pressure will be on for the Petit Dauphin to do something.
I expect the issue will be "managed" just enough to contain the political damage, regardless what kind of haphazard react-now-plan-later stuff is paid for. At best something resembling a TAPV program for the aerospace folks will come out of it.
 
I expect the issue will be "managed" just enough to contain the political damage, regardless what kind of haphazard react-now-plan-later stuff is paid for. At best something resembling a TAPV program for the aerospace folks will come out of it


Beyond what Biden/Blinken/Austin order Canada to buy, I suspect you’re right.
 
Beyond what Biden/Blinken/Austin order Canada to buy, I suspect you’re right.
Biden order? What ice cream? He couldnt tell you the difference between a balloon and missile.

But I'm sure someone in the administration maybe to figure something out.

Listening to the news conference an hour ago gives me no confidence in Whitehouse leadership. They had to sideline KJP for it too.

How is the PM and his def min sound better?
 
• F35 (check)
• NASAMS for UKR (check)
• AN/SPY-7 AEGIS ASHORE for NORAD (next)
• P-8 (follow-on)
• Additional SM-3 in advance of CSC w potential land-launch sites (follow-on)
• etc…

Perhaps you took my ‘Biden’ too literally?

I don’t think he actually determines the defense investment package that Canada is being directed, any more than Trudeau could explain how Quantum computers work…
 
Honestly, at this point; almost a full year after the largest land war in a generation has started in Europe, Trudeau has more drive and desire to arm a Mr. Potato head than the CAF.
Well harrumph we have to be inclusive and woke first and make sure the troops can identify as whatever they want!!!
Then maybe we can talk about scary weapons….
 
Well harrumph we have to be inclusive and woke first and make sure the troops can identify as whatever they want!!!
Then maybe we can talk about scary weapons….
Im going to disagree with this sentiment.

We do need to work on inclusion and creating a safe environment for all CAF/DND members. It's a priority, especially for those of us in or with loved ones in the "Alphabet Mafia."

Trudeau doing fuck all to rearm the CAF, provide anything close to a proper Defence Policy, or course correct our Foreign Policy (even in the face of blatant incursions and affronts by China) has nothing to do with "wokeness"; it has everything with him and his party being unable or unwilling to think past Election 2025 or "Life after Parliament" to see what is best for the country. They simply cannot be bothered to do what's right, when they can conveniently shove their heads in the sand while the USAF gives top cover.

We can have culture change and rearm the CAF at the same time. They aren't mutually exclusive activities.
 
I thought it would be a UOR because of Ukraine
Someone ran to The Brick for Interm Convening Table (ICT) capability. ICT system will be replaced by the Future acheivement Convening Table System (FaCTs) and will incorporate the Large Information Edifice System (LIES) So the FaCTS and LIES program office is stood up we should have a solution
 
Im going to disagree with this sentiment.

We do need to work on inclusion and creating a safe environment for all CAF/DND members. It's a priority, especially for those of us in or with loved ones in the "Alphabet Mafia."


We can have culture change and rearm the CAF at the same time. They aren't mutually exclusive activities.
The fact we need to make treating people with respect a priority is a sign we probably need to get better regardless of any other activity
 
Trudeau doing fuck all to rearm the CAF, provide anything close to a proper Defence Policy, or course correct our Foreign Policy (even in the face of blatant incursions and affronts by China) has nothing to do with "wokeness"; it has everything with him and his party being unable or unwilling to think past Election 2025 or "Life after Parliament" to see what is best for the country. They simply cannot be bothered to do what's right, when they can conveniently shove their heads in the sand while the USAF gives top cover.
This. This. This.

Wokeness may be one of his symptoms but the illness is much deeper.
 
So, what has the CAF gotten under the current govt?

  • delayed fighters etc
  • Pot is legal!
  • beards!
  • new dress regs
  • BOOTFORGEN!!!!!

Not really…stellar. So what files have moved are the “little value to combat/operational capability” ones…

It’s a sad state of affairs we’re in. But it’s not like all previous governments were hitting home runs on this subj before the current one either…

Defence doesn’t matter much to Canadians for some decades now, and that is something politicians are fully aware of that.
 
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